


The Strange Holiday

by MCEWEN



Category: Original Work
Genre: Isehari, Knights of Naren books
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 19:01:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13060188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCEWEN/pseuds/MCEWEN
Summary: A short story introducing Isehari's travels.





	The Strange Holiday

Isehari crept closer to the edge of the small village. She stayed back, hidden in the bushes at the edge of the forest. The humans of the village had all gathered in one spot, where they had erected a decorated pole. She saw no elves and no one who looked like her. Of course, Glimarin elves kept to themselves. She’d never heard of anyone leaving before, and when she had mentioned to her best friend that she wanted to travel and see the world, her friend was shocked. So shocked in fact, that she threatened to tell everyone which caused Isehari to leave a little sooner than planned.

She continued watching the activities of the village. It was some sort of strange celebration or holiday or something, she guessed. The people of the town wore heavy coats and hats, but grinned as they tromped through the snow as they made a circle around the pole. She pulled her cloak a little more tightly around herself. Sure there were cold nights in the Glimarin Forest, but nothing like this. At home, the forest kept her people safe. Out here, it was cold and uncaring, about the same as the people who lived in it. She hadn’t dared approach them. There was no way of telling how they would react to someone like her. She was obviously different. Though she wasn’t as tall as most Glimarin elves, her skin was far from the creamy pink to dark brown tones that seemed to prevail outside of her home. Her own skin was grey, but blue and purple skin was common as well in the Glimarin Forest. 

She watched as the humans stopped circling the pole and started singing. It was a curious thing to celebrate. Did the pole represent something? Maybe if she could understand the words to the song, it would make more sense. She saw someone else approaching the clearing, and the villagers got out of the way for the newcomer to pass through to the center to stand under the pole. He was an elf. Not an elf like her, but one of the small elves that looked like humans. She’d heard about them, but this was the first time she had seen one. She studied him for a moment before deciding that the only difference between him and the humans were his ears. That, and he was short. Were all eastern elves short, or was it just this one? She figured she’d find out on her travels eventually.

The singing stopped and the elf spoke. She couldn’t understand him either, but a couple stepped forward and handed him a small bundle. A baby. It’s cry echoed in the otherwise silent scene as the elf unbundled it enough to expose its hands. The elf held his hand over the bundle and spoke again. This time the language sounded different, almost as if it were a chant. His hand glowed. Magic. Was he using magic to keep the baby warm? What an odd use. The magic users back home would laugh at him. The baby seemed unaffected, and its cries intensified. The elf handed the baby back to its parents. They immediately worked to bundle the baby back up while the elf spoke again. Isehari still could not understand him, but as soon as he finished, someone started playing a fiddle, and most people started dancing. Others started making their way to the table of food set up along the side of the path. 

Food. Her stomach rumbled. That had been her main purpose for coming into the town, and with the celebrations going on, they had made it a lot easier on her. No one was going to be in their houses. She wouldn’t take too much. Normally, she was fine with foraging and hunting, but the snow had taken her by surprise. Quickly in to grab a little, not so much they’ll notice, but enough to calm her hunger. The music continued as she went to a second house to grab a little to eat for tomorrow. 

Perhaps she could find some game to hunt so that she wouldn’t have to come back, but it had seemed scarce in the region. She glanced one last time at the strange celebration before heading back to her camp in the woods.


End file.
